Self-serving hog-trough.



I. Q. CLARKE.

SELF SERVING HOG THOUGH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I9, I916.

"Patented July 31, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 1'. Q. CLARKE.

SELF SERVING HOG TROUGH.

APPLICATION FILED ausixe. I916.

1,234,713 1 liaamtel nedJuly 31, 1917.

0 O Y 0 0 J9 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Q. CLARKE, OF CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN DIANA.

snnr snnvnve I-IOG-TROUGH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed August 19, 1916. Serial No. 115,830.

fball'whomz'tmay concern:- V, I

Be it knownthat I, JOHN QCmnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self- Serving Hog-Troughs; and I do hereby declare the following to beat full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in, the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.-

Thisinvention relates to 'self-serving or feeding hog troughs. I f Y f ,The object of this invention is the provision of a trough, which trou h is divided bypartitions struck up from the medial portions thereof separating the trough-into separate chambers. The troughs -are' secured and held firmly together by a hopper supporting frame, and the hopper supporting'framepis. constructed of angle, iron and has the hopper supported therein above the trough, and ,a plurality of agitators supported upon the .V-shaped partition of the trough and extending up into thehopper.

Astill further objectof this invention is to provide a plurality of troughs formed from a single sheet of metal. and this, metal having struck up centrally therein .a V- shaped partition which divides thetrough into separate chambers, and the V-shaped partition is adapted tohave positioned thereon agitators,-the' ends of which aredirected downwardly into the troughs and maybe operated by the animals when feedingforcing the feed into the hopper at all times. V A still further object of this invention is the provision of a deflecting member which isso secured to the opposite sides of the hopper and extend downwardly and out wardly beyond the forward edges of the trough so as to prevent rain or otherwater from running down into the troughs or upon the backs of the animals while the same are eating. I A still further object of this invention is the provision of a pair of troughs formed ofa single sheet of metal and supported by a suitable hopper supporting frameand which is so constructed as to prevent the hogsfrom crowding one another while eating and also prevent them from climing into the trough while eating and thus spilling the food from the troughs by their feet.

1 A further object of this invention is the provision of a trough ofthis character which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive, which can be manufactured and sold v at a comparatively small cost. I

f WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combination, arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of selfserving hog trough made in accordance with this nvention, H v v V Fig. 2 1s a vertical SGCtlOlltLlVlQW of the same,

; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view,

and

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of one of the agitators. r V v I Like numeralsof reference designate corresponding parts inall the figures of the drawings. 7 r 1' -;-Re ferring more particularly to the drawvings, the numeral 1 designates a supporting frame in its entirety which comprises in its construction angle bars 2 and 3 which con,-

stitute the base members and having connected'thereto at each end the supporting legs 4 by suitable rivets 5. Connected to the upper ends of the legs are the curved bars 6 which bars are arranged in pairs and have their medial'portions secured to the vertical flange ofthe angle bars 2 and 3 as at 7, and interposed between each pair of the curved bars 6 are the plates 8. The plates constitute the ends of the troughs 9 and 10 .which will be hereinafter more fully described. The troughs9 and 10 areformed "side by side out of one piece of sheet metal 11 having its medial portions struckup to define the inverted V-shaped partition 12 in .cross section, which partition divides the trough into separate troughs 9 and '10 and also acts as a deflector for the feed when :the same passes into the troughfrom the hopper. The upper outer edges of the troughs 9 and 10 are disposed below the plane of the apeX of the inverted V-shaped partition, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The rectangular frame 13 is secured to the upper edges of the end plates 8 and the outer upper edges of the troughs 9 and 10. Secured at one end to the opposite corners of the frame 13 are the uprights 14: rigidly secured to the corners of the frame 13 as at 15 and extend upwardly therefrom. The uprights let have secured thereto the end walls 15 and 16. The feed hopper 17 is mounted longitudinally and midway be tween the troughs. The hopper comprises end walls 18 and 19, and the inclined side walls 20 and 21, the lower edges of the side walls are provided with the outwardly directed horizontally disposed flanges 23 and the lower edges of the inclined side walls are disposed below the apex of the partition 12 and on opposite sides thereof forming the feed passages 2%. Hingedly secured to the upper edges of the hopper is a cover 25 which is provided with a hasp 26 which is adapted to fit over the staple 27 carried by the side wall 21 of the hopper for keeping the cover in a closed position.

Secured to the upper edges of the uprights 14: are the rain deflectors 28, which are arranged to be secured to the side walls of the hopper and inclined downwardly therefrom, have their lower outer edges bent upwardly as at 29 to deflect the rain and prevent the water from flowing into the troughs or upon the backs of the animals while feeding. Se-

cured to the under side of the deflectors as at 30 are the braces 81 which are secured at one end to the underside of the deflectors and at their opposite ends to the side walls of the hopper, thus reinforcing the hopper and holding the deflectors in position. Heinforcing bars 32 are secured to the side walls of the hopper and have their lower ends connected to the rectangular frame 13 as at 33 for reinforcing and holding the hopper in an upright position. Arranged transversely across the hopper centrally thereof is the strap 85 which has its opposite ends connected to the side rails of the frame 13 as at 35 and has its medial portion provided with an inverted V-shaped member 36 which is adapted to rest upon the inverted V-shaped partition of the troughs.

The agitators designated 37 as an entirety comprise the U-shaped bars 38 having the extreme ends of their legs bent upwardly as at 39 and are provided with openings 40. The horizontal bar fl is secured between the eyes of the legs of the U-shaped members 38 by the bolts 41 and nuts 42. Secured to the horizontal bar at one end are the feed agitators 43 which extend vertically from the bar 41 and are in spaced relation thereon. It can be readily seen that when the agitators are assembled that by connecting the eyes &0 of the members 38 to the bar a1 there is provided an inverted V-shaped portion i5 which is adapted to fit over the inverted V-shaped partition which divides the trough into two troughs 9 and 10. The web portionsetfi of the agitators extend into the opposite troughs 9 and 10 and areadapt- 'ed to be moved downwardly by the contact with the nose of the animal when feeding thereby oscillating the arms as which will cause the feed to fall down into the trough and the troughs become filled with food at all times.

After the agitators are placed upon' the.

V-shaped partitions it will be understood that the relative longitudinal movement ofn the agitators will be limited by contact with.

the stra 3 which is arranged centrallv across the partition. The strap also serves to hold the agitators at a spaced distance apart;

It will be readily seen that when as sembling the device and the agitators are positioned in place and the feed is in the hopper, when the hogs are feeding their noses will come in contact with the webs of in the troughs or running off on the backs of the hogs while eating. It is also under stood that these deflectors'will serve to pre' vent the hogs from getting their feet into the troughs and thus pulling the feed there-' from.

hat is claimed is V 1. An animal trough of the class described including a supporting frame having end walls, a hopper rigidly mounted' in the frame and secured to the end walls, troughs positioned in the frame'and' located in the" V hopper, said troughs divided by an inverted V-shaped partition, reinforcing straps ex tending centrally across the partition and connected to the peripheral edges of the troughs, an agitator supported upon the apex of the V-shaped partition and located in the trough on opposite sides of the partition, said straps limiting the longitudinal movement of the agitators toward one another.

2. A feed trough of the character described including a supporting frame having end walls, a hopper rigidly secured to the end walls and descending in the frame, a troughformed of a single sheet of metal connected to'the frame and positioned below the hopper, said trough having its medial V-shaped partition for rigidly holding the 10 portion struck up to provide an inverted V- troughs against separatio I shaped partition, and agitators supported In testimony whereof I aflix my signature upon the partition and extending in each of in presence of tWo Witnesses.

l the troughs, means extending upwardly from the agitators into the hopper for urg- JOHN CLARKE ing the contents of the hopper into the Witnesses:

troughs, and straps extending transversely W. A. PORTER,

across the troughs and apex of the inverted F. P. JoHNsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

